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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22577845">Ending, but Beginning, an Earthbound Beginnings fanfic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CompleteLaytonTrash/pseuds/CompleteLaytonTrash'>CompleteLaytonTrash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Gen, HEY LOOK ANOTHER MOTHER FIC WOWEEZOWEE, Its all oneshots, Lloyd will probably 3rd wheel at some point, anyways yeet have fun reading, btw this will be fluff only with maybe angst, yes NintenxAna is a thing you can’t stop me</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:22:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22577845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CompleteLaytonTrash/pseuds/CompleteLaytonTrash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a whole lot of oneshots for the Mother gang. NintenxAna is included.</p><p> </p><p>EDIT (4/11/20): I’ve decided to scrap this fic. It’s something I put a lot of effort into and it kinda feels like it’s for nothing. Maybe one day I’ll come back to this, but for now, it’ll be scrapped. Sorry everyone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ana/Ninten (Mother 1)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Friendships Reborn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>HEY LOOK NEW FANFIC!</p><p>Hi! If you know about Chimera of Light, then you probably know who I am! I decided to write a second fic just for the fun of it! Updates are random, as they are with Chimera of Light, so please be patient! I’m working as quickly as I can!</p><p>Anyways, I hope you enjoy!</p><p>Edit: Turns out I forgot to fix a few settings and it screwed the whole thing up. All fixed now!<br/>Edit 2, Electric Boogaloo: I literally forgot about the italics for telepathic conversations/thoughts and realized this in the middle of my shower. Fixed and hopefully won’t happen again.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ending, but Beginning: an Earthbound Beginnings fanfic<br/>Chapter 1: Friendships Reborn</p><p>3 years. 3 long years had passed since the “Giegue Incident” that had shaped the lives of Ninten, Lloyd, and Ana. For Ninten, these were lonely years. He had spent the majority of them eagerly waiting for a letter, only to find one would never come. For the first few months, they talked constantly, mainly though letters, since phone calls piled up in cost. Although, after a while, letters became scarce, leaving Ninten alone and sad. He missed his friends and longed to see them again, but their schedules conflicted so badly that there was never any time. It led Ninten to find a way to cope with the gaping holes that were left; composing. He’d spend hours upon end just writing songs to play. It went from just a coping mechanism to a fun pastime, and today was no different. Ninten was sitting in his swivel desk chair, a half composed piece of sheet music in front of him.</p><p>“If this is in 3/4 time, then that part needs to be in 4/4 to make that melody fit, right?”<br/>He scratched out the old time signature and changed it to the new one.<br/>“Wait, no, that can’t be right.”<br/>He scratched that one out too.<br/>“Wait, maybe- UGH!”<br/>He leaned back, hooking his toes under his desk to stop himself from falling over. He pulled his chair back to its original position, flicking his pencil between his fingers. A purple aura enveloped the tip of his finger, his pencil hovering up and into the air, the same purple aura surrounding it. He stared at it, turning it and making it spin until it fell to the table, the aura fading.<br/>“I need a break.”<br/>He pushed out his chair, gliding across the room to a mini fridge in the corner. He opened it, grabbed a bag of half frozen Oreos, and went back to his desk. He heard his door creak open, taking mental note to oil the hinges later, and felt something push against his leg. He looked down and saw Mick, happily pushing his icy cold nose against Ninten’s legs.<br/>“Hi, Mick. I don’t suppose you can help me with composing, yeah?”<br/>He scratched behind Mick’s ear, watching his tail furiously wag in delight. He grabbed his composition paper and showed it to Mick, letting him sniff it and paw at it. He seemed more interested in chewing on it that helping, leading Ninten to set it back on his desk.<br/>“That’s what I thought. I’ll let you sit with me as long as you don’t try to tear this thing to bits, ‘kay?”<br/>Mick let out a peppy bark and hopped into Ninten’s lap, which was slightly painful. Mick wasn’t a tiny dog like everyone thought he was; he was a husky, and larger than average. Ninten’s parents got him when Ninten turned 10 as a birthday gift, and the two had been inseparable ever since. Mick would sit in Ninten’s lap every chance he got and tried to stay as close as possible with him. He went with Ninten to baseball practice, would walk to and from Pippi’s house with him, and even follow him all the way down into Podunk. It was nice, having a constant companion, even though he was a big, somewhat stinky one, he was a companion nonetheless. The two sat for a while before Ninten caught wind of the doorbell ringing and Mick promptly threw himself over the back of the chair to go see who it was, taking Ninten down with him. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, then got up and fixed his chair, sighing. He could hear his mom talking to two people, both of which he couldn’t understand, and Mick barking.</p><p>“Ninten? Can you get Mick out of here? He’s being awfully jumpy.”<br/>Ninten’s mom could barely be heard over the barking and was clearly struggling to keep Mick from leaping onto whoever just showed up.</p><p>“Sure thing!”<br/>Ninten walked to his door and sharply whistled, getting Mick’s attention.<br/>“C’mere, Mick!”<br/>There was silence, then a collar jingling, and then the excited sprinting footsteps of Mick as he thundered up the stairs and into Ninten’s room.<br/>“Good boy! Now, sit!”<br/>Mick sat down, tongue out and tail wagging.<br/>“Good! Lay down!”<br/>He dropped to his stomach, eyes intently staring at Ninten.<br/>“Good boy, Mick!”<br/>Ninten scratched behind the husky’s ears, making his tail wag even harder. Ninten heard his mom shout a thank you before returning to talking with whoever showed up, leaving him alone and in the somewhat quiet of his room. He could now clearly hear who she was talking to; a boy and a girl, both of which sounded to be around his age. They both sounded overjoyed to be here, and kept mentioning someone Ninten couldn’t quite catch onto. His mom seemed all for it, agreeing with almost everything they said.<br/>“Hey, Mick, I need you to do me a favor.”<br/>Mick’s ears perked up.<br/>“I want you to go downstairs and see who’s here. If you don’t recognize them, just stay there and I’ll telepathically talk to you, ok?”<br/>Mick jumped up to his feet, nodding.<br/>“Alright, go!”<br/>Mick scampered out the door and down the stairs, waiting at the bottom. He had a clear view of everyone in the room, and quickly relayed his info back.</p><p><em>“I don’t recognize them.”</em><br/>Ninten sighed, tapping his leg.</p><p>
  <em>“Alright, well, what do they look like? Give me the best description you’ve got.”</em>
</p><p><em>“The boy’s got gray hair and huge glasses. I think that’s a red sweatshirt? Yeah, that’s what it is, okay. He’s kinda nerdy looking, too.”</em><br/>The description was already starting to jog Ninten’s memory, little pieces forming a messy, but somewhat recognizable image.</p><p>
  <em>“What about the girl?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Shes tall. Like, really tall. She’s also got a big pink sunhat on and a little pink dress. Her hair’s in tiny pigtails and she seems really sweet.”</em><br/>An even more recognizable image formed in Nintens head, but he couldn’t be sure it was true.</p><p>
  <em>“What are their names? Did you catch those?”</em>
</p><p><em>“Nope, sorry. Oh, momma’s calling for you!”</em><br/>Ninten broke his telepathic connection with Mick and leaned out of his door.</p><p>“Whatcha need now, mom?”</p><p>“Come down here for a sec!”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because! Just come here!”<br/>He rolled his eyes, walking downstairs, fixing his hat.</p><p>“Fine, fine, I’m coming. I still don’t get why you need me to come downst-“<br/>He stopped at the bottom of the steps, staring at the two figures who had come in. Standing before him was Lloyd and Ana. An onslaught of emotions whipped through him like a hurricane.<br/>“L-Lloyd...? Ana...?”<br/>Tears welled up in his eyes, making his vision waver.</p><p>“In the flesh.”<br/>Ninten rushed forwards at those words, barreling into a group hug. He burst into sobs, burying his face into their shoulders. They slightly panicked, hastily moving to comfort him.</p><p>“Nonononono! Ninten, please don’t cry!”<br/>Ana pulled Ninten closer and ran her fingers through his hair. Lloyd showed similar concern, tightening his hug.</p><p>“Ninten! It’s ok! Don’t cry!”<br/>Ana could see even Lloyd was starting to tear up, hiding tiny, glistening tears behind his opaque glasses. Eventually, Ninten broke the embrace, stepping back a bit. His breaths were shaky and hiccuped, his eyes red and watery. He looked like a mess.</p><p>“I-I’m sorry... I shouldn’t be crying...”<br/>He let out a breathy chuckle, wiping his eyes.<br/>“It’s just... it’s been so long since I’ve been able to see you two. I got really lonely, and I almost felt homesick...”<br/>He paused, letting his breathing even out a little.<br/>“I’ve gotta be dreaming... this just can’t be real.”<br/>Ana smiled, stepping forwards and leaning over a bit so she was at Ninten’s level.</p><p>“If it wasn’t real, would I do this?”<br/>She promptly gave him a kiss on the cheek. Almost instantly, Ninten’s freckled face turned a bright shade of red, the color stretching all the way to his ears. He covered his face with his hands, overwhelmed with emotions. Ana giggled, pulling him into a hug.<br/>“I think I proved my point, didn’t I?”<br/>Ninten nodded, face still hidden by his hands. Ana gently pulled his hands away, smiling.<br/>“You gonna be ok there, tomato face?”<br/>With a laugh, Ninten nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be ok. How about we all go catch up? I mean, we changed so much and barely spoke for 3 years. There’s bound to be something we forgot to mention in our letters, right?”<br/>Lloyd and Ana nodded, grabbing their bags off the floor where they had left them. After a quick thank you to his mom, Ninten quickly led them upstairs and into his room, shutting the door behind them. His room had changed a lot since they had last seen each other. It was much cleaner and neater, most of his stuff being stacked on shelves and organized in bins. His signature penguin plushies were still atop his bookshelf, and he had added a few little trinkets from their adventure to the mix. He had added a desk, a swivel chair, a beanbag, a mini fridge, and a small tv to the rest of the layout as well. He pulled his swivel chair out from under his desk and sat down, gesturing for Ana and Lloyd to take a seat as well. They decided on Ana taking the big chair and Lloyd taking the beanbag, leaving their stuff beside them.<br/>“You two look so different... I swear I almost didn’t recognize you, especially you, Lloyd!”</p><p>“Really, now? I thought it’d be easy! I still look like a nerd, don’t I?”</p><p>“You sure as heck don’t sound like one! Last time I saw you, you sounded like a squeaky dog on helium!”</p><p>“And you don’t?”<br/>Lloyd pulled his glasses down, looking at Ninten over the rims with a smug smirk on his face.</p><p>“Oh, real funny.”<br/>Ninten pouted, rolling his eyes. He knew he had barely changed in the past 3 years. He’d only grown 2 inches and barely got any deeper of a voice. He was still the same old Ninten that everyone knew, but it had its perks. Everybody recognized him without hesitation, and he found it fun to jokingly pretend he would never grow up.<br/>“Moving on from my still 12 year old body, allow me to ask: did both of you get taller? I swear I had to look up to see you, Ana.”</p><p>“You did. I’m a half foot taller than you both.”</p><p>“You’re joking.”</p><p>“I’m not, I swear!”<br/>She laughed, standing up to compare heights.<br/>“See? Look!”<br/>Ninten stood face to face with her, realizing she was, in fact, a good half a foot taller than he was. He had to look almost straight up to actually meet her eyes.</p><p>“I can’t believe this. I’m supposed to be the tall one!”<br/>He triumphantly straightened up, hands on hips, attempting to look taller. The room burst into laughter at the sight of Ninten attempting to look taller. He sat back down, adjusting his cap.<br/>“Jeez, I never thought Ana, of all people, would be taller than me. She was always the shortest, right?”</p><p>“Yep. I was the middle height of the group, with both of you being 2 inches taller and 2 inches shorter.”<br/>Lloyd pushed the bridge of his glasses farther up his nose.<br/>“But heights don’t matter a whole lot. What does matter is the fact that me and Ana have some... news, to put it bluntly.”<br/>Ninten’s smile seemed to fade. He caught onto the slight discomfort in Lloyd’s tone, knowing something bad was coming out of this. He folded his hands in his lap, waiting.</p><p>“So, what is it?”</p><p>“Well, we weren’t quite sure on how you’d be able to take it, but I think this’ll go down well.”<br/>Lloyd adjusted his glasses again, the light giving the lenses a slight sheen.<br/>“As you know, our schedules are packed; mine with school and Ana’s with religious duties. However, after a lot, and I mean a lot, of convincing our parents and my teachers, we managed to work something out.”<br/>He sighed, pausing for just a moment.<br/>“From now until we can work out something better, we’ll get every other week off from work and school. I think you know what that means.”<br/>The two watched as Ninten’s smile returned and he ran over to hug them.</p><p>“There’s no way!!”</p><p>“But there is! We’ve been trying to do this for ages, and we finally succeeded!”<br/>Ninten hugged them tighter, nearly getting lifted off his feet in response. When they let go, he sat back down, still a little speechless.</p><p>“I just can’t believe it... When’s the first week start? Today? Next week?”</p><p>“Today. They gave us an extra week on top of this one so we can all get some serious catching up in, and then it’ll switch to every other week. Holidays and school breaks are included in the schedule, but those don’t affect a whole lot, just adds an extra few days or weeks to the existing ones we get.”<br/>Ninten could barely contain his joy, bouncing in his chair. He was almost a little overwhelmed by all of it.</p><p>“If it’s not too much trouble, do you guys just wanna stay the night? My mom can make prime ribs for dinner!”</p><p>“ABSOLUTELY!!”<br/>The two shouted in unison, eyes lit up with excitement.</p><p>“Alright then! Let’s go let my mom know! Oh, you guys should probably meet her, too.”<br/>The three leaped from their seats and hurried downstairs, excitedly chattering along the way.</p><p> </p><p>~~~{+}~~~</p><p> </p><p>“You need to give me that recipe. Those were the best prime ribs I’ve ever had!”<br/>Ana finished tying her hair into a messy bun, still savoring the aftertaste of dinner.</p><p>“It’s a secret! No telling!”</p><p>“Aw, c’mon! Please?”</p><p>“Nope.”<br/>Ninten smirked, leaning back against the backboard of his bed. The three of them had been up chatting for hours and had finally decided to rest up. Despite not doing much, they were exhausted, probably from talking so much. During the time everyone was getting ready, Ninten had crafted 2 makeshift beds out of chairs and beanbags for Ana and Lloyd since they didn’t bring sleeping bags. After that, he got his own bed ready and waited for everyone else.</p><p>“I feel like we’re back on some crazy adventure again.”<br/>Lloyd had taken his glasses off and was cleaning them next to the case they were kept in.</p><p>“No kidding. Hey, at least we have actual beds!”<br/>Ninten gestured to the makeshift ones he made, smiling.</p><p>“True, but that doesn’t change the fact that I feel like I’m back in Spookane.”<br/>Lloyd tucked his glasses into their case, pushing a stray piece of hair out of his face. Ninten had nearly forgotten how Lloyd looked underneath his glasses. He had dark circles that stuck out in contrast to his pale skin, and his eyes were a vibrant orange. The rest of his rosacea was also much more prominent without his huge glasses on, which Ninten took note of.</p><p>“No kidding. Sleeping in Rosemary Manor was NOT fun.”</p><p>“What?”<br/>Ana turned, a confused look on her face.</p><p>“Oh, that’s right, you weren’t with us yet. Basically, Spookane is this freaky haunted town with a creepy manor some guy owns. The fourth melody was in there, so me and Ninten had to go get it. We wound up getting lost and had to stay the night in a freaky room with a bunch of paintings and hand-carved busts. We had no beds, no sleeping bags, and we were petrified some ghost was gonna lurch out of one of those paintings.”</p><p>“We didn’t sleep a whole lot.”<br/>Ninten shuddered at the thought of the place, shaking it from his mind.</p><p>“Yeesh, glad I wasn’t there. I can’t stand the sight of those places. Freaks me out too much.”<br/>Ana pulled the blankets over herself, tucking herself into the makeshift bed.</p><p>“I can agree on that.”</p><p>“Same here.”<br/>Ninten set his cap on the bedpost next to him, falling back onto the mattress.<br/>“Ok, how about we all get to bed? I’m exhausted.”<br/>A unanimous response of nodding came from the three, and they settled in for the night. After some “goodnights”, the room went quiet, except for a few faint clicks of machinery. Ninten sat up a bit, spotting Lloyd attempting to screw something together without his glasses on.<br/>“Lloyd.”<br/>The gray haired boy sharply looked over at Ninten, setting his machine aside.</p><p>“Sorry, force of habit.”<br/>Ninten gave a thumbs up, lying back down. He heard shuffling, the blanket get thrown over a makeshift bed, and then silence. He sighed, relaxed, and stared out the window by his bed. The night sky was beautiful, stars twinkling in the twilight blue darkness. He smiled, nestled deeper under the blankets, and sighed in bliss. Finally, after 3 long years, the story he thought had ended had begun anew, opening up to a new chapter of his life, one he knew he was going to enjoy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Graveyard Adventure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ninten and gang go hunting for treasure in the graveyards of Podunk</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Remember how I said there would be a lot of fluff? Apparently the random number generator I used decided that’s a fat lie and I need minor angst instead.</p><p>I know, this chapter took like a week to make, and I didn’t expect it to be done THAT fast (trust me I thought it’d take longer), but it’s here and it’s done!</p><p>As for what’s next, I’ll be switching it up from now on. If you’ve read my other fic, Chimera of Light, then you know how much work I put into that bad boy. Because I don’t want to give up on it anytime soon, yet still want to keep this new fic going, I’ll be alternating fics for every other chapter, meaning this one won’t get updated for a while, but you can expect an update on Chimera of Light sometime soon!</p><p>Anyways, with that out of the way, enjoy chapter 2!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ending, but Beginning, an Earthbound Beginnings fanfic</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chapter 2: Graveyard Adventure</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was the middle of the night, moonlight illuminating the quiet town of Podunk. Crickets chirped among the silence that the night gave, echoing into the midnight sky. Gravel crunched beneath Ninten’s feet as he checked his watch for a third time. 12:04. Not a minute had passed since he last checked. Behind him were Lloyd and Ana, cautiously following him along the darkened path. They reached a broken, rusted gate with numerous chains and locks around it. Some of the gate was bent in a way that made it seem like some vicious beast tried to escape and bashed part of the gate down in the process.Most of the locks were rusted to pieces, hanging on by some disgusting piece of metal that somehow clung to the chain it was still on. Ninten found a few big locks holding the gate shut on newly added chains, eliminating his plan of breaking the gate down.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hold on, don’t tell me you dragged us out to the cemetery in the middle of the night!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana stormed forwards, hands firmly on her hips, and leaned over to meet Ninten’s eyes. She glared with the intensity of a mother about to punish their child, and it made Ninten back down a bit.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh... I did?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten nervously smiled, backing into the gate as Ana stepped forwards.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And what gave you the thought to do such?! It’s a cemetery! Why in the world would you want to drag us out to a cemetery for?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wanted to explore! There’s stories of a hidden treasure somewhere in one of the graves and I got too curious for my own good, ok?!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten held his hands up in surrender, back pressed up against the gate. Ana stepped back and huffed in annoyance.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Is this some legendary treasure or a silly myth Pippi told you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Legendary treasure. It was in my great grandfathers diary. He said it’s buried somewhere in Podunk Cemetery, but it doesn’t say where. I feel like it’s somewhere in the lower catacombs, but I won’t know for sure until I’ve looked.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So why’d you bring us with?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because I wanted backup and people to be with me so it’s not as scary...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s voice quieted as he shamefully averted his eyes. He knew it sounded stupid, but he was a genuine coward when it came to graveyards, especially after the experience he had with Pippi. Both of them nearly got their brains eaten on the way out, and Ninten had to rush himself home before Pippi took any more injuries. They’d practically stared death in the face and Ninten wasn’t willing to do it again, at least, not without friends. Lloyd and Ana were tough, and had a bunch of crazy strategies and plans that always got them out of trouble, so he thought it would be best to take them with so they could help.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Fine, we’ll help.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana straightened her hat, staring up at the locks on the gate.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s no way we can break these without somebody finding out.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What if we pick the locks?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They looked over at Lloyd, who was cleaning his glasses.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We can’t. These aren’t key locks, they’re dial locks, and from what I can see, there’s no keyhole on the back.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pushed his glasses back onto his face, a slight sheen covering the lenses. He smirked, pointing to the bent part of the gate.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“However, that doesn’t mean we can’t scale it. If we can find a way up to that bent part, we can jump the wall and get right in without breaking a single lock.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He walked up to the wall, looking for a foothold or possible way up. Just as he thought he’d found one, he looked over to see Ninten draped halfway over the wall, wedged between the small fence at the top. He kicked, squirmed, and finally pulled himself out, hanging onto the wall so he didn’t fall in. Cautiously, he scrambled back up and crawled over to the gate, hooking his feet over the back of the wall and leaning down.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Someone take my hand and I’ll pull you up!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd grabbed ahold of Ninten’s hand, using the wall as leverage to pull himself up. Once he could grab onto the other end of the wall, he let go and pulled himself to the top. Ana followed, taking a bit longer since she had trouble getting her footing. Once everyone made it up, they began inching their way to the gate.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why can’t we just hop the fence? It’s low enough for all of us to climb over.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because there’s really sharp spears at the top. At least one of us will wind up getting stuck or hurt on one of them.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten had considered bypassing the fence on top of the wall to avoid the gate, but it was risky. While the underside of the fence was open and could be crawled under, the top had sharp spearheads to prevent trespassers. He could easily slip underneath without any trouble, but the others couldn’t. Lloyd was a little chunkier than Ninten and couldn’t squeeze underneath, and Ana was too tall to fit easily, not to mention the possibility of her dress getting caught on something. As they approached the gate, Ninten climbed over and tested if it was stable enough for everyone to climb over. Once he knew it was safe, he hopped down and motioned for the others to follow. Lloyd easily climbed down the gate while Ana needed help getting all the way down due to her dress getting caught on a stray piece of metal.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Looks like we’re in. Who’s ready to find some treasure?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No answer.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok, that’s fine too.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The three slowly began their walk through the graveyard, passing dead trees and freaky gravestones. As they reached the southern part of the cemetery, they noticed something was off. Some of the graves looked like they had been dug up, rather, like something crawled out of them. The holes were messy and very hastily made, no effort to even cover them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Looks like someone got here before us...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana pulled at her hat, tugging it farther down on her head.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, something didn’t get here before us. Those aren’t shovel holes. Those were dug by some kind of beast.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd adjusted his glasses, crouching by the hole dug on top of the grave.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Shovel holes are usually clean and cylindrical or cone shaped, depending on the outcome desired. Holes like this were dug by a large animal or some kind of creature we haven’t seen yet. It’s hastily made, no effort to make it a specific shape, and it’s in no way clean. Whatever made this didn’t come from above, I think it came from underneath...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s face went pale. He knew what Lloyd meant when he said it came from underneath, and he was terrified. He glanced over to see Ana looking at him, concerned.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You ok? You look really pale.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I-I’m fine! Just... thought I heard something!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana frowned, pointing out the fact that Ninten was trembling a bit.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re scared, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“NO!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s voice echoed through the walls of the cemetery, followed by what sounded like growling.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“...What was that...?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The growling got louder, almost as if it was right next to them. Ana and Ninten looked over to see the color drained from Lloyd’s face.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Guys...? U-uh...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pointed to something behind them, and as they turned around, they froze. Standing behind them was a small group of zombies, all ready to pounce.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“RUN!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten shrieked as loud as he could and bolted, Ana and Lloyd at his heels. Frantically, Ninten’s PSI flared up, sending a rush of energy into him, boosting his speed. He didn’t realize that said boost of speed didn’t apply to Ana or Lloyd, accidentally leaving them behind after a panicked 4th-D Slip. In seconds, Ninten had vanished, gone in a flash of purple PSI. Ana and Lloyd almost didn’t notice until they had safely escaped, hiding behind a large chunk of rubble that came off the wall.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Wait... Where’s Ninten?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh no, did he run ahead or something?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, I didn’t see him at all ahead of us. I think he teleported or used 4th-D Slip!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana began to panic, realizing the situation they’d gotten themselves into.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How are we going to find him?! He could be anywhere!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“He most likely teleported somewhere safe, or at least, as safe humanly possible.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re in the middle of a graveyard, Lloyd! How is anywhere around here safe?!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana gestured to the horror scene around them. Zombies wandering the dilapidated rows of graves and dead trees.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ve seen him act like this before. He’s gone into a state where his mind is in fight or flight mode. He went to wherever felt safest, whether that place may be actually safe or not. He’s probably terrified because he left us behind. We should start looking before he runs off somewhere else.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana hesitantly nodded, grabbing ahold of her frying pan and following behind Lloyd as they began their search for Ninten.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">~~~{+}~~~</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten opened his eyes, the haze of purple PSI fading from his vision. He had frantically teleported himself to the opposite end of the graveyard, close to the mausoleum he found Pippi in. Zombies rarely came that far over, so he found it to be a safe enough spot to rest. He breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his aching temples.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thank god I got us out of there, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Complete silence.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, Ana? Lloyd? You two ok?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No answer.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Seriously, are you two ok? You’re awfully quiet-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten turned and saw neither Lloyd nor Ana with him. Panic set in as he realized that he had left them behind and fled without them, leaving them to fend off zombies all on their own.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh no... no no no no... this can’t be happening...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked around one more time before panic fully set in, no sign of Ana or Lloyd anywhere. He grabbed ahold of his bat and nervouslyheaded out back the way he came. It was terrifying, practically reliving the first events of his adventure. Zombies running amok while he searched for a friend who had disappeared somewhere in the graveyard, it all brought back painfully frightening memories. He tried to shake them from his mind in an attempt to focus on the path ahead, but they loomed over his mind like a storm cloud.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I hope I find them soon...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten quietly mumbled to himself, gripping the handle of his bat a little tighter. He could hear the groans and raspy cries of the zombies nearby, causing him to freak out even more. He swore he could hear one right next to him, but every time he turned to look, nothing was there.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“L-look, I’m n-not scared of you!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He lifted his bat over his shoulder, ready to swing at any moment.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“D-don’t make me hit you with my baseball bat!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something growled nearby, making Ninten tense up in fear. He readied his bat, winding up a swing even more.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I said, I’m not sc-“</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Something cracked him over the back of his head. For just a moment, he could see zombies moving in towards him, ready to pounce, and then everything went black...</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">~~~{+}~~~</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re sure he’s here?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Positive.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd pushes open the doors to the mausoleum, peeking inside.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Coast’s clear, follow me.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana carefully stepped inside, staying close behind Lloyd. PSI Fire crackled at her fingertips, lighting up the dark hallway ahead of them. The descended down a crumbling staircase and into a room where a few opened coffins sat. It was much brighter, illuminated by lit torches on the walls. The found nothing in the coffins, but noticed someone or something tossed into the darkest corner of the room, curled up and haphazardly placed. Ana spotted a bright red cap with a blue bill and immediately ran towards it, skidding to a halt on her knees.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lloyd! I found him!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd came rushing over, kneeling beside Ana as she rolled the figure over and lifted them into her arms. It was Ninten, unconscious, but unharmed. He appeared as though he had been physically dragged down there, as his clothes were covered in dirt and there were a few smudge marks of mud on his face. Ana pushed his hair out of his face and let PSI Healing flood to her fingers. She gently placed her hand on Ninten’s forehead, watching as soft ribbons of light enveloped his head, pulling him back to consciousness. She set him back down and slowly took her hand off his forehead, watching as he began to wake up.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ngh... What happened...?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten sat up, rubbing the back of his head, and was met with Ana and Lloyd pulling him into a hug.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re ok!!!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Joy flooded Ninten as he realized he was safe and sound with his friends by his side. He returned the gesture, overjoyed to be back with them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How the heck did you guys even find me?! I was sure I was a goner.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Intuition and some clever thinking, that’s how!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd pushed his glasses up confidently, smiling.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course you did.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten moved to get up, hand sinking onto a single tile that sunk into the floor with a click. The ground rumbled, tiny bits of stone and dirt falling from the ceiling. The moment it stopped, Ninten turned to see a wall and opened behind him, revealing a small room. Ana let PSI Fire ignite at her fingers, aiming the light of it at the room that had just been opened. The room sparkled with treasure, illuminated by the light of PSI Fire. Ninten’s eyes lit up with excitement and he sprung to his feet.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s the treasure I was talking about!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He pointed to the pile of treasure sitting in the center of the newly discovered room. There were golden coins atop small necklaces and bracelets, all piled around a tiny chest. Ninten was quick to unlock it, opening it to find a crystal ball, slightly dirtied from age.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You dragged us all the way out here for this?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana peered over Ninten’s shoulder, looking at the dirtied orb. His smile faded and he shyly looked away.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, yeah. I wanted to go on an adventure like we used to and I was curious on if this thing was real or not...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He paused.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s ok if you aren’t happy. I shouldn’t have dragged you guys out here in the first place...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana quickly pulled him into a tight hug, nearly lifting him off his feet.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I never said I wasn’t happy! If anything, I didn’t think we’d actually find it.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She loosened her grip a bit, pushing the corners of Ninten’s lips into a smile.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t see the importance in that old ball, but if you find it amazing, that’s all that matters. No need to get all upset about it, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten nodded, taking his backpack off and somehow cramming the crystal ball into it, along with the rest of the treasure.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What are you even gonna do with all that, anyway?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd curiously looked at the heap of riches Ninten shoved into his bag, adjusting his glasses to see it better.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Display it somewhere or sell it, depends on what it is.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re gonna sell it?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well yeah, I don’t have a lot of uses for it, besides displaying it to look cool.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten shrugged, putting his backpack on and heading for the stairs to the mausoleum.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“C’mon, lets go home. I think we’ve had enough adventuring for one day.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Agreed.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd and Ana followed, sticking close as to not lose him again.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You guys got the energy to teleport or not?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A unanimous no from the two.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Aight, we’ll walk.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The walk home was long and tiresome, mainly for Ninten since he decided to haul all of the treasure they’d found in his bag, but it was fun. They told each other stories and played little games along the way to keep themselves awake, and by the time they finally reached Ninten’s house, they were flat out exhausted. With a quiet click, the door opened and the three shuffled inside, taking great care to not wake up Mick so he wouldn’t make any noise. With a few more precautions taken, the three snuck back upstairs and into Ninten’s room, where they promptly dumped their stuff onto the floor and flopped down on one bed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You two just gonna share the bed with me.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Mhmm.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Everyone shuffled around a bit as they managed to get into a somewhat comfortable clump. Ninten wound up on the bottom while Lloyd and Ana found a way to simultaneously lie on top of him. It wasn’t exactly comfortable for anybody, but none of them cared. Within minutes, they were all out like a light, nestled together in a sleepy pile, happy to finally be home, safe and sound.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yeah I still don’t know how to end chapters. Don’t think I ever will.</p><p>Aside from that, I hope you liked this chapter! Sorry it’s not a pile of adorable fluff, hopefully the next one will be!</p><p>Also, to state again, I’ll alternate between fics, which means this one will be updated sporadically. If you see a new update on Chimera of Light, expect a new chapter for this fic to come soon!</p><p>Until then!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Thunderstorms and Pillow Forts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A blackout occurs at Ninten’s house and the Mom1 gang finds a way to wait it out</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello!! It’s me again!</p><p>This took far longer than it should’ve. School got hectic, I had a period where I was burned out, and I have been on edge for a little over a week and there doesn’t seem to be a way to counter it.</p><p>We all know what’s going on in the world, what with the virus and everything. It’s taken a toll on my mental state, more than I expected. My mother has an auto-immune disease and this virus could kill her if she gets it. I’ve been stressed, worried, and a little scared. She means the world to me, and I can’t bear to think about losing her to some virus like this. My school district cancelled until April 8th, but I have a feeling it’ll be out longer than that, so don’t worry, I’m safe here at home, but that won’t stop me from worrying. I have plans to work and write more, I just need to get around to it. Please understand if stuff like this takes longer, as I know most of you can understand why I’m so worried and upset, but I promise I’ll try to work on these stories over the quarantine break.<br/>Please, stay safe and stay home. Let’s hope this all gets better soon.</p><p>Please enjoy chapter 3.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ending, but Beginning, an Earthbound Beginnings fanfic</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chapter 3: Thunderstorms and Pillow Forts</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Laughter rang through Ninten’s room as another round of corny jokes was made. Lloyd rolled his eyes at how stupid the joke was and returned to an invention he had brought along with. Him and Ana had come over earlier that day to visit with Ninten and had decided to stay over for lunch, the lunch part being Ana’s idea since it took so long for her to get home. Ninten agreed and the three had been chatting ever since.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ninten, that joke was terrible.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s the whole point! They’re bad so they make you laugh!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd turned to look at him, completely straight-faced.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Dude, it was so bad that I didn’t even think to laugh.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten stuck his tongue out at Lloyd, a confident smirk on his face.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ve got too high of an IQ to understand these jokes.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you just call yourself and your girlfriend dumb?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten went silent as he realized exactly what he just said.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“U-uh, no! I’m saying you’re too smart to- wait. Oh...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd snickered, pushing the bridge of his glasses up.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Exactly, you called both yourself and Ana dumb!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed with himself.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok then, brainiac, how come you didn’t laugh at it!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Because I hear these kinds of jokes from my own dad every single day. I’ve become desensitized to them.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know that, but- what the heck is that sound?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The three went silent, intently listening for whatever Ninten just picked up on. It became apparent that heavy rain had picked up, as it could be heard pounding on the window panes and roof. The sky had become frighteningly dark, almost the color of disastrous weather like hail or a tornado. Ninten began to feel uneasy, PSI unnaturally beginning to flood his body like adrenaline. Something like that only happened when bad things were about to happen. It only really occurred during his adventure, specifically when enemies stronger than he was were approaching from a blind spot, but it would occasionally happen whenever he knew something wasn’t right in the surrounding area, whether that be a stranger entering his house without permission or some unnatural weather occurrence. It made him worried, considering that Ana didn’t seem to be picking up on anything.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, Ninten? You ok?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Ana, who seemed to be concerned about the fact that he was more than a little worried.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Y-yeah! Just felt a little uneasy for a sec.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana frowned, scooting closer to him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s never good. You sure you’re ok? I mean, if you feel like somethings wrong, then-“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">
    <b>
      <em>*BOOM*</em>
    </b>
  </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lightning crackled violently as the room suddenly went pitch black, all lights abruptly shutting off without warning. The three shrieked and began to panic when they realized the room had gone dark.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s going on?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know! Ana, where are you?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m on the floor next to the bed! Where are you?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“In the beanbag chair! Where’s Ninten?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I don’t know! Ninten?!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No response. Something clattered to the floor and the rustling of a bag became prominent.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Gimme a sec, I think I’ve got a flashlight in here...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">More rustling before a moment of silence, the rain being the only sound heard. A loud click and a beam of light flickered to life, illuminating the once pitch black room. Lloyd adjusted his glasses and pointed the flashlight in Ana’s direction, squinting to try and make out what was over there. Ana held a hand over her eyes so she wasn’t blinded and looked over to the bed, noticing a bundle of quivering blankets atop it. She cautiously lifted one of the blankets and found Ninten curled up underneath, shaking in fear. Ana hurriedly lifted the rest of the blankets off him, only to find that he darted right back under them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ninten? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">No answer.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ninten, I’m worried. Why are you hiding?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shakily peeked out from under his cocoon of blankets, a hazelnut eye staring right at her.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I-I’m scared...”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of what?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd shuffled over, flashlight pointed at the ceiling to act as a light.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“...the dark...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten spoke in a hushed voice. He knew it was a stupid fear, childish in every way possible, but it was the truth. He was never a huge fan of the dark, personally disliking it, but after the poltergeist showed up and attacked during a blackout, he’d been afraid of the dark ever since. He knew that he looked like a total embarrassment, considering the fact that he was supposed to be the strong leader, not the one cowering under blankets because of a childish fear.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Really? You never seemed like the type to be scared of something like that...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd pushed his glasses up a bit, shuffling over to a shelf and positioning the flashlight so it would stay upright without him holding it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s no reason to be scared! You’ve got me and Lloyd, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten slowly nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Then we should be enough to keep away the creeps!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He sat up, blankets still wrapped around him, and was quickly pulled into a hug, squished between Ana and Lloyd. When they let go, Lloyd hopped off the bed and back to his pile of inventions, grabbing a couple scraps and his box of tools.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That flashlight should provide light for a little while. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can make a better light.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana gave a thumbs up and pulled Ninten into another hug.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“C’mon, Ninten! Smile! It’s gonna be ok!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten groaned and turned away, pulling his cap down over his face. Ana smirked and pulled him in closer, delivering rapid fire kisses to his neck and collarbone, causing him to squeal.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ana!! EEP! That tickles!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He burst into giggles, his usual bright smile returning.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s that smile!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She delivered one final kiss before returning to just smothering him in hugs. Lloyd rolled his eyes and flicked the switch on the machine he had made, pointing the beam of light right at them, startling them.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I got a light working.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He turned off his flashlight and set the machine up so it pointed to the ceiling, giving the room a much brighter glow.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Lloyd. Sometimes I don’t know what I’d do without you”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re welcome.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He gave a thumbs up, adjusting his glasses. They sat in silence for a bit, lost in thought, before Ana got up and started gathering up pillows and blankets, piling them next to the bed. Ninten curiously looked at her, turning his cap so the bill faced backwards.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What the heck are you doing?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I thought we could build a fort! Y’know, just to have something to do.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s eyes practically lit up with excitement. He grabbed a bundle of blankets and pillows and lobbed them into the pile, leaping off the bed to go get more. Lloyd seemed interested as well, taking the beanbag he was sitting on and placing it in the pile. In just a few minutes, the three had collected as many blankets, pillows, and cushions as possible, the pile now as high as Ninten’s bed. One by one, the three began taking the pillows and blankets and constructing a gigantic fort on top of Ninten’s bed. The rest of the pile that didn’t get used was tossed into the fort for decoration, some of the blankets being used for warmth rather than for show. Once it was done, the three clambered inside, huddled together in the mess of pillows and stray blankets. Lightning flashed outside, the brightness muffled by the curtains of blankets that made up the walls of the fort. Ninten instinctively pulled himself deeper into a nest of pillows, the blanket around his body wrapped tightly and snugly. Ana and Lloyd quickly snuggled next to him for comfort, alleviating some of his fear in seconds.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“See? Nothing to be afraid of.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Lloyd adjusted his glasses again, his body sunken into a particularly large pillow. Ninten gave a small nod in agreement, staring through the tiny break in the blanket walls. Rain pelted the windows, wind shaking the glass panes. He curled up in the blankets, relaxing and sinking into the pillows behind him. He was a bit tired, yawning and laying back. Lloyd and Ana snuggled up next to him, dozing off. Ninten sleepily glanced over at them and closed his eyes.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I guess a nap wouldn’t hurt...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He smiled and sighed, drifting off into a pleasant dream, the sound of the thunderstorm fading away into gentle rain.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Again, I’m sorry this took so long and feels rushed. I’ll try to make it better in the next chapter I do of this fic.</p><p>I’ll say it again: please, please stay home and stay safe. It’s not worth risking your life over something that isn’t essential at this point. I hope to see you all again soon.</p><p>Until then, stay safe. See you soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Distant Heir to the Throne</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ninten returns to Magicant, but with a twist.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So it’s been 3 months-</p><p>What with everything going on, I managed to squeeze out another chapter. I sincerely apologize for the wait. My motivation is off the wall and I had to force myself into a schedule to get this done. I hope to actually work more on these fics sooner or later, now that I’ve got some wack schedule in place. Until then, please enjoy chapter 4.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ending, but Beginning, an Earthbound Beginnings fanfic<br/>Chapter 4: The Distant Heir to the Throne</p><p>Ninten’s mind was quiet, lulled into a peaceful slumber. He’d been left alone for the day, his mother and sisters running errands in town, and he decided to take a midday nap. Peacefully dozing away, his mind slipped into a hazy dream. It wasn’t odd for him to have strange or unsettlingly specific dreams, as he’d always had them, even before he knew he was psychic. They sometimes felt prophetic, sometimes just a fleeting idea from his imagination, and sometimes they were nothing at all. He’d become used to just about anything, except for one. Only once had he experienced that particular type of dream before, and it startled him. He dreamt of Magicant, still partially ruined, but mysteriously rebuilt in some areas. Magicant had vanished the moment Queen Mary, Ninten’s great grandmother, had finally moved on. Yet, the place still seemed to stand despite it having disappeared years ago. Somehow, he managed to come across this dream once again. Slowly, his mind faded from an empty void into a cloudy landscape, his body taking form the more the landscape came into focus. The landscape was a soft, pale pink, the clouds puffy and soft under his bare feet. Twisting spires dotted the clouds, a cool gray in color. He mindlessly walked along the soft, fluffy clouds, watching as the landscape became more broken and ruined the farther he walked. An unsettling chill crept up his spine, leaving him with a sense of uncertainty. He tried to slow down and turn around, but found his legs refused to do as he wanted, continuing to walk farther into the clouds.</p><p>“Where am I going...?”<br/>Ninten’s voice echoed in the empty space around him. He stared out into the horizon, and then it clicked. He put all his might into trying to slow down and then around, but found his body didn’t even flinch at his desperate will. He could only watch as the landscape slowly became darker and more destroyed, resembling that of Queen Mary’s Magicant after she had moved on. In an instant, the dilapidated landscape crumbled into a black, empty void, the only solid ground being the fragile and crumbling, dirtied pink cloud beneath his feet. Sickening crackling and snapping noises echoed within the void, massive, jagged cracks violently forming with every step until one final snap. One last gargantuan crack formed beneath his foot, growing in size by the second. The ground began to crumble, the fragile cloud shattering like glass. Terror struck him as the rest of the cloud in front of him shattered into the abyss, hastily creeping up on him. He turned tail and began sprinting back the way he came, hoping to outrun the shattering land behind him. It gained on him, the breaking cloud upon his heels. In an act of desperation, he jumped, reaching out in hopes to grab onto something that would save him from the crumbling fragments of the cloud, but it was a futile attempt. The crack caught up to him and the cloud crumbled before him, and into the abyss he fell. He let out a shriek of terror as he began to plummet into the darkness below, his voice swallowed up by the emptiness that surrounded him, and then everything went black.</p><p> </p><p>~~~{+}~~~</p><p> </p><p>Tiny feet caused little splashes of water as they ran along the shore of a crystal clear river. A little girl dressed in a large red cloak and a brimmed, pointed hat dashed along the shore, holding onto the brim of her hat as she ran, her tiny feet splashing in the shallows. She rounded a bend and hopped over a smaller section of the river, picking up her pace as landed.</p><p>“Mister kitty!!”<br/>She waved to a cat half sunken into the river, catching their attention. The feline turned and swam over to the cloaked little girl, pushing himself slightly out of the water so he was closer to her height.</p><p>“Oh! Hello, little one!”<br/>She had a worried, anxious look on her face, unable to stand still.<br/>“What’s wrong? Did you lose a toy in the river? I can go get it for you, if you’d like!”<br/>She shook her head, pointing back down the river in a frantic manner.</p><p>“Someone’s unconscious in the river! I-I don’t know where he came from, b-b-but I can’t reach them!”<br/>The feline’s ears perked up in surprise, hopping back down into the river.</p><p>“Well, what are we waiting for?! If he’s in the river, we should hurry!”<br/>He dove into the water and began a hasty swim upstream, following the little girl as she led him to a shallower part of the river. On the opposite end was a young boy, seemingly unconscious. His clothes and hair were soaking wet, his skin coated in goosebumps from the chill of the water. The feline swam to the other side, gently lifting up the boy and carefully ferrying him to the opposite shore, handing him off to the little girl.<br/>“I recognize him, strangely enough, but I can’t put my paw on who he is. I think the lady who runs that little hotel in her home might know more about him. You know where she lives, right?”<br/>She nodded.<br/>“Good. Take him there for me. She knows more about him than I do, and I’m sure she’ll be able to help.”<br/>The girl stood up and confidently nodded, adjusting her grip. She waved goodbye and started her sprint towards the peaceful town in the distance.</p><p> </p><p>~~~{+}~~~</p><p> </p><p>Lightly shone through a nearby window over Ninten’s face, causing him to sleepily hold his hand up over his eyes, rolling over and deeper into the blankets. Upon realizing he had blankets on him, he shot awake, more confused than scared. At first, he thought he’d woken up from his nap and was merely a little dazed, possibly even blinded from the midday sun, but he quickly found that he was not, in fact, in his room, but was rather in a strangle little home with an odd little roof. It was cozy, just the right kind of warm that felt comfortingly nostalgic. It even smelled like home, the faint mix of prime ribs and that special, unique home smell that he had come to know and love. He was in a bed that felt almost like his own, a blanket draped over his legs that had fallen off him when he woke up that was soft and fluffy. The interior of the home was a familiar shade of pink, similar to that of the pink shells that populated the town of Magicant. It was only then that he realized he was, in fact, in Magicant. He whipped around, trying to figure out how that could even be feasible. He glanced over at a figure wearing a pastel blue cloak and wide brimmed hat. She was folding blankets, laying them atop one another in a neat stack. The figure glanced over, doing a double take when they realized Ninten was full awake and alert.</p><p>“Oh! Good to see you’re awake!”<br/>Ninten nervously looked around, confused and slightly afraid.</p><p>“U-uh... where exactly am I...? How did I get here...?”<br/>The figure giggled, folding another blanket and stacking it atop the already tall stack.</p><p>“You’re in Magicant, sweetie! As for how you got here, even I’m not quite sure! One of the children here found you unconscious in the river shallows and she brought you here. I got you all cleaned up and you’ve been here ever since!”<br/>Ninten stared blankly, still unable to truly process the reality of the situation.</p><p>“B-but... how?! Magicant has been gone for years! I watched it disappear right before my eyes! How is it still here after all those years?!”<br/>The figure shook her head, lifting the pile of blankets and placing them on a beautifully carved shelf.</p><p>“Well, I myself can’t really tell you much on that. I personally don’t know a lot about it, but I’m sure the people at the castle could tell you more!”</p><p>“People at the castle?”<br/>Ninten tilted his head in confusion.</p><p>“Mhmm! You know where it is, right? The castle, I mean.”<br/>Ninten slowly nodded, the faint memory of the layout of Magicant coming back to him.</p><p>“Yeah, I think I remember where it is.”<br/>The figure smiled, handing Ninten a small charm engraved with the signature shell aesthetic of Magicant. She gently took ahold of his hand, placed the charm on his palm, and closed his hand.</p><p>“Good. Show them that little charm and they’ll surely know what you want to know.”<br/>Ninten slowly nodded, standing up and holding the charm close to his chest.</p><p>“Ok, thank you!”<br/>He walked to the door, opening it up and taking in the sight outside. He paused, staring at the bustling town. It looked just like he remembered it. It was that soft bubblegum pink, puffy clouds making up the ground. Tall, warm, pink shell houses covered the town, people decorated with large cloaks and wide brimmed hats walking the cloudy streets. The town was walled in with spiral shaped pillars that almost appeared to touch the sky, the points of each higher than Ninten could see. Outside the pillars were messy, broken pathways crafted from shimmering pale stones, acting as guides to areas outside of the town. Ninten recognized the layout; it was nearly identical to that of his great grandmothers Magicant. He was awestruck, the pink landscape pulling memories from every corner of his mind. He began his walk through the town, following the pathways that lined the quiet yet bustling little town. It was nice, being able to see a place as special as this, especially after it had disappeared. He had fond memories of running through Magicant with his friends, and even though he couldn’t do that now, it was still nice to be able to walk the paths and see the sights again. He clutched the charm he was given to his chest as he approached a fork in the road, taking a right and following the path up to a large wall of pillars, 3 shrouded figures standing guard in front of the entrance. They all snapped to attention, their gaze piercing straight through him. He stopped in his tracks, staring back, frozen in place by their stare.</p><p>“And who might you be?”<br/>The figures inquired, leaning in towards him, their gaze still piercing through him.</p><p>“U-uh... M-my name’s Ninten...”<br/>He could barely form a sentence, strangely unable to speak. He watched as the figures leaned back, their gaze seeming to soften, allowing Ninten to move.</p><p>“My, we haven’t heard that name in years! Would you happen to be the same Ninten who stepped foot in this castle 3 years ago?”<br/>He slowly nodded, showing them the charm he was given.</p><p>“I don’t know if this means anything to any of you, but a woman gave me this. She said it was important and to show it to the people at the castle. Not sure what she expects to happen but...”<br/>He trailed off, pulling the charm slowly back to his chest. The three figures immediately moved aside, clearing the path for Ninten.</p><p>“It means quite a lot, even for us. Please, head inside. Show the castle stewards that and they’ll tell you all you need to know.”<br/>They bowed before him, which was odd to Ninten. He quietly walked past them, his focus turning to the castle. It was just as intimidatingly huge as he remembered it; sporting its elegant, pointed towers that touched the heavens. It gleamed and shimmered like a polished gemstone in the sun, almost a little blinding up close. He approached the doors, stopping for a moment. He took a deep breath, hoping to steady himself, and pushed the massive castle doors open. They creaked and groaned loudly as they slowly swung open, revealing the surprisingly well kept interior. It looked just as he remembered, the green interior an obvious contrast to the rest of the landscape he’d seen. The floor was polished to perfection, so shiny that Ninten could clearly see his reflection when he looked down. It was mesmerizing for him, but he couldn’t lose track of what he was supposed to be doing. He shook himself out of his wondrous stupor and turned his attention to finding one of the castle stewards. It wasn’t very hard, as he was able to find one in mere minutes. They wore the same clothes the old stewards wore: a hat that covered the whole face, spare for holes for the eyes, and a pink suit-like outfit over the rest of the body. The steward perked up, turning to face Ninten.</p><p>“Oh! Hello there!”<br/>They smiled behind their masking clothes, giving a friendly wave.<br/>“You don’t look like you’re from around here! What’s your name?”</p><p>“I-It’s Ninten...”<br/>The steward seemed shocked, quietly gasping in surprise.</p><p>“Wait, Ninten?! I didn’t even recognize you! How long has it been? 2, 3 years?”</p><p>“It’s been 3. I’m surprised nobody here really knew who I was...”</p><p>“Well, this place has changed drastically since Maria departed. A lot of the old faces you knew disappeared along with Maria herself. Only a couple, including a large portion of the castle stewards and very few of the townsfolk, actually managed to make the leap over into the new Magicant. I assume you managed to get in here by some means of permission by someone in town? I mean, it could be possible that the ones outside recognized you but-“</p><p>“Actually, I was given this charm. I was told to show it to the people in the castle and that they’d know more about this...”<br/>He showed the steward the charm he was holding, watching as they gasped in surprise.</p><p>“Why, that’s the crest of Magicant! How in the world did you obtain something so valuable?!”<br/>Ninten sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes.</p><p>“I-I don’t know... The nice lady who runs that little hotel in her home gave it to me...”<br/>The steward seemed taken by surprise, gently cupping the charm in their hands.</p><p>“Ninten, this is the same crest Queen Maria had! It signified royalty to Magicant, and was meant to be passed down to the next heir to the throne!”<br/>Ninten went quiet, nervously watching as the steward looked straight at him.</p><p>“W-well... I don’t know who that heir is... I could try to find them, if you-“</p><p>“No no no, Ninten, that heir is YOU!”<br/>Ninten went into a panic, nearly dropping the charm he still held.</p><p>“W-wait! Th-there must be some kind of huge misunderstanding! I’m no prince, nor am I even close to royalty! This must have been meant for somebody else! I-I-“<br/>The steward took ahold of his hands, gently taking the charm out of his shaking grip.</p><p>“It’s no misunderstanding, and I assure you that it’s not scary or difficult. If anything, I think you’ll find it to be quite fun!”<br/>While holding onto Ninten’s still shaking hands, he began to lead him down the hall, rounding the corner and walking through an elegantly carved doorway that opened up to a large bedroom. Ninten stared in awe, taking in the sights of the massive room. A huge stained glasses window that took up nearly an entire wall let light into the room, the design upon the window being a recreation of the castle itself. A beautifully decorated king-size bed sat against the left wall, a tapestry telling the legends of Magicant hanging above it. Pearlescent support beams lined the walkway into the room, holding up the high ceiling. The steward led Ninten to a shimmering doorway, gesturing to a small pink candle that flickered to life, lighting up countless other candles among the ceiling, giving the room a soft glow. Ninten snapped out of his awestruck trance and found himself standing in a giant closet, clothing fit for royalty on every hanger. The steward stepped back, gesturing to the racks of clothing before him.<br/>“A prince like yourself should fit the look along with the part! Pick any outfit you like, multiple if you feel so inclined. There’s a changing room at the back of the closet. Once you’ve decided on something to wear, just pop back into the bedroom and I’ll show you around the new castle!”<br/>The steward bowed, then quietly walked out, closing the closet door behind them. Ninten turned his attention back to the long closer he stood in, slowly stepping forward. He ran his hand over each outfit, pushing it back against the hangers behind it to see it better. He came across a particularly interesting outfit, gently lifting the hanger off the bar it hung upon. It was elegant, yet still retained some semblance of casual style. He carefully draped it over his arm and walked to the end of the closet, pushing a decorative screen aside to reveal a small changing room. He stepped inside, pushing the screen closed, and hastily changed into the outfit he’d chosen. It was purple, loose, and elegant. The sleeves puffed up at the ends, cutting off just below his shoulders, a frilly pink trim on the ends. Purple cone sleeves covered his forearms, going slightly past his hands, a pink cloud pattern at the ends. The pants were loose and flowing at the bottom, a deep magenta, the same cloud pattern on the ends. The shoes were more or less just sandals, decorated with jewels and elegant silver strings. Strangely enough, it felt similar to pajamas, soft and loose, yet comfortable. To Ninten, it almost felt wrong to wear something so royal, considering his background. He swallowed his nervousness and stepped out, heading to the closet door and slowly opening it, peeking out. The steward turned and clapped their hands together in joy. Ninten shied away, moving back behind the door.</p><p>“S-sorry... I don’t know that I should be wearing this...”</p><p>“Nonsense! Come out so I can see! I’m sure you look wonderful!”<br/>Ninten slowly stepped out, his face flushed red, and quietly closed the door behind him. The steward gasped in delight, walking up to him and examining the outfit.<br/>“It looks perfect on you! What matters most is if you feel comfortable wearing it.”</p><p>“I mean, I feel fine wearing it, it’s just... really weird to me... It feels a little wrong, I guess...”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>“Well, I’m not royalty... It feels like I’m gonna get in trouble for wearing this...”<br/>The steward chuckled, adjusting the sleeves on Ninten’s outfit.</p><p>“I can assure you that you won’t get in trouble. If you’re ready and comfortable, I can give you a quick walk of the castle, just to get it in your memory.”<br/>Ninten gave a nervous thumbs up. He recognized the castle layout, but couldn’t fully remember exactly how it was structured. The steward smiled behind their mask and bowed, gesturing towards the door.<br/>“Alright then, follow me, your majesty.”<br/>Ninten’s cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. He sheepishly rubbed his arm, following close behind the steward. His sandals clacked against the smooth tile floors, echoing down the long hallways they walked. He gazed up at the high ceiling, the shimmering tiles reflecting light in a gleaming array of color. It was mesmerizing, much more beautiful than the original Magicant Ninten had come to know. Everything looked shiny and new, and it wasn’t long before Ninten found himself lost in the walk, taking in the sights while he was guided throughout the castle halls.</p><p> </p><p>~~~{+}~~~</p><p> </p><p>“Just a reminder; there is a day and night cycle here! When the sun begins to set, please return back to the castle as quickly as you can. A fog will fall over the entire land of Magicant, lulling any who remain wandering into a deep slumber. We can’t come and get you if you get stuck out there, so don’t forget!”</p><p>“I won’t, I promise! Thanks again!”</p><p>“You’re welcome, your majesty! We’ll see you again at nightfall!”<br/>Ninten waved to the stewards at the castle doors, dashing off along the stone path that led up to the castle and off into the wilderness of Magicant. He felt so free, like he could just lift right off the ground and start flying. His strides were more like small leaps, lifting much higher off the ground than he should normally be able to. It didn’t take long for him to forget what he was told, lost in the joy of playing in his home away from home. He stayed out for hours, so long in fact that the sun finally reached the horizon, slowly beginning to sink below it. Ninten looked up at the sky, smirking.</p><p>“I think I’ll stay out here a little longer!”<br/>He skipped up onto a large rock, standing tall as he looked out over the horizon. A very thin, almost invisible haze seemed to sluggishly roll over the land, growing thicker by the minute. Ninten hopped down from the rock he’d jumped onto and began walking down the path back to town, his hands tucked behind his back as he confidently skipped along the stones. The thin haze turned to a thick fog, leaving it difficult to see more than a few meters ahead of him. A wave of drowsiness hit him, slowing him to a halt. He rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to keep moving. As he trekked down the quiet, lonely path, it dawned on him that he’d completely forgotten about what the stewards had told him; come back to the castle before sundown. Ninten sleepily looked up at the sky, stars faintly twinkling in the dark night sky. He forced himself to pick up the pace, despite the temptation of sleep beckoning to him with every step forwards. He staggered, slipping in and out of consciousness, his eyes fluttering shut. With a final step, he fell forwards, only to be caught by an unseen figure, lifted into their arms and carried with haste towards the town. With his slipping consciousness, he managed to open his eyes, slowly looking up at the figure who had lifted him up. They appeared to be a bird, but had the build of a human. Their arms were wings, built similar to human arms. Their legs were bird-like, but kept the same humanoid similarities, talons clicking against the stone with each hasty step. They appeared to be one of the Flying Men, hurriedly carrying him back to the castle. They rounded the gates to the castle and dashed through the closing doors, coming to a screeching halt. Ninten sleepily held a hand up over his eyes, the bright overhead lights blinding him. The Flying Man lifted a wing and shielded Ninten’s face, walking up to the stewards who were anxiously awaiting their prince’s return. One turned upon the sound of clicking talons against the cold tile floor, the others following.</p><p>“Your majesty! Where in the world were you!”</p><p>“We were so worried!”</p><p>“How could you forget! We told you not to stay out that late!”<br/>Ninten curled up a bit, ashamed of himself. The Flying Man held up a wing to interrupt, lowering it back over Ninten’s face.</p><p>“If I may, he didn’t do this on purpose. He hasn’t been here in years, just got deemed to be the prince of Magicant, and is probably a little overwhelmed. He forgot in the midst of having fun. Cut him a little slack.”<br/>The stewards nodded, one gesturing down the hall.</p><p>“You’re right, and he does look awfully tired.”</p><p>“Alright, we’ll let it slide. Let’s just get him off to bed.”<br/>The Flying Man followed the stewards down the hall and into the large royal bedroom. It was dark, pale moonlight seeping through the silk curtains. The bedsheets were pulled back, exposing the pillowy mattress underneath. Ninten was gently laid upon the mattress and quietly tucked in. He was already dozing off, eyes fluttering shut every now and again. He could faintly feel someone gently pat him on the head, lightly ruffling up his hair. He rolled onto his side, nestling deeper into the blankets, a soft, rhythmic clicking, like a music box being wound, reaching his ears. The clicking stopped, followed by muffled footsteps leaving the room, the door silently closing. A quiet, familiar tune began to play, breaking the silence of the room. Somewhere, a music box was playing the eight melodies Ninten had collected all those years ago. It was quiet, slow, like a lullaby. In an instant, Ninten slipped away into sleep, a dreamy smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p>~~~{+}~~~</p><p> </p><p>Warmth. That’s all Ninten could feel as he snuggled up into the messy heap of blankets and pillows that was his bed. He sluggishly opened his eyes, vaguely registering his sisters calling for him downstairs. He sat up, still clutching a heap of blankets, and rubbed his eyes. He looked around, realizing that he wasn’t in Magicant anymore. Loud footsteps thundered up the stairs, bursting into his room.</p><p>“Ninten! Are you even listening?!”<br/>The black haired teen snapped to the voice, noticing his sister, Minnie, standing in front of him.</p><p>“O-oh! Sorry, I was taking a nap. Whatcha need?”<br/>Minnie grabbed ahold of his arm, tugging on it.</p><p>“Mom got groceries! Come help us put them away!”</p><p>“Ok, ok! You don’t need to pull me down there! I’ll be there in a sec, ok?”<br/>Minnie nodded and ran back downstairs. Ninten let go of his blanket heap and ruffled his hair, slipping his signature cap back onto his head. As he got up to head downstairs, he swore he could catch a glimpse of a figure dressed in pink standing in the corner, smiling at him, almost like she was watching over him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The ending is garbage, I know. I tried my best here. I’ve been at this for way too long, and I just wanted to finish it so it wasn’t sitting in my notes for another few months. I promise the next chapter will be better.</p><p>Again, I’m so sorry for the wait. I’ll try to pump these out a little faster.</p><p>See you again soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Dancing Snowflakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ninten and Ana go on a date in Snowman and Ninten can’t help but get flustered at every little thing Ana does.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hhhrrngg</p><p>It’s me again!</p><p>Sorry it took so long for this chapter to come out. I lost motivation a little while back because I’ve been stuck on this chapter for ages. Finally, it’s complete. The ending kinda sucks because, again, I lost motivation, but I’m just glad it’s complete. As for now, I get to take a quick break and then I’ll get back to writing.</p><p>Please enjoy Chapter 5!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ending, but Beginning, an Earthbound Beginnings fanfic</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Chapter 5: Dancing Snowflakes</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Cold nipped at his nose, the chill of the wind blowing right through his coat. Snow crunched beneath his worn-out snow boots, melting in the soles, soaking into his socks as he walked. His cheeks and nose were a bright red, chilled by the icy temperatures of the snowy town. Ninten passed another round of trees before he finally emerged into the frigid town of Snowman. The wind whipped up, the frigid chill of the air piercing right through his frail winter coat. He hastily placed a firm hand onto his cap, holding it down against the fierce winds. He squinted into the distance, making out a slender, tall figure standing under a tree, clutching their hat in desperation to keep it on their head. As Ninten got closer, he realized who it was, picking up the pace as the wind died down, breaking into a light jog.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ana!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The girl turned, a joyous smile growing on her face as she recognized who called her name.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ninten!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The two ran at each other, leaping into a hug. Ana nearly lifted the raven-haired boy off his feet as she tightened her hug, giggling.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s so good to see you!!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She let go, her hands sliding up to his, gently cupping them. Ninten felt his heart skip a beat, his cheeks getting a little redder.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s good to see you too!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana gave the warmest of smiles, Ninten’s heart skipping another beat.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You look like you’re freezing to death out here! Follow me, we can warm up in my house!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She let go of one of his hands, keeping a gentle but firm grip on the other, giving another smile as she began leading him through the town. Their walk led them to the church at the back of town. Ana opened the door and led Ninten inside, giggling at his sudden reaction to the warmth of the building.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ooooohhhhh, it’s so warm and nice in here...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten shuffled into the added warmth of his coat, his heart steadying itself as he calmed down from his sudden infatuation for Ana.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course it is! Every building in Snowman is super warm to combat the freezy cold of outside!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her cheeks were a rosy red, the tip of her nose sporting a similar color. He tried not to focus on her smile, as every time he looked at her smiling, his heart skipped another beat in joy.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Here, we can hang out in here for a little bit. Keep your coat on, but you can take your shoes off if you want.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She kicked off her snowboots, walking down the aisle of pews and up to the altar, sitting down on one of the steps leading up to the altar itself. Ninten gathered up the courage to follow, slowly kicking off his boots and making his way over to her, quietly sitting down next to her. She instantly leaned against him, her wide brimmed hat getting knocked slightly off her head. Ninten struggled to keep his heart from racing, unable to hide the bright red blush covering his freckled cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s up with you? You’ve been really quiet lately, and you get all tense and nervous when I get close to you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten felt a twinge of guilt. He knew Ana was going to pick up on his feelings sooner or later, but was hoping for the latter.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“W-well, I-I-I just...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He saw Ana’s expression fall, that joyous glint in her eyes fading. His chest tightened, his body tensing up as he gave up trying to dodge the question.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I just don’t know how to... process and respond to the feelings you show to me. I-it’s not that I don’t love you! That’s nowhere near true! I love you as much as you love me, but I just...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He let out a hopeless sigh.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m just terrible at understanding why you love me so much. I get so damn flustered at every little thing you do... You’re so tall... and strong... and kind... and pretty... a-and...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His voice trailed off, turning away from Ana to try and hide the visible distress and upset in his expression, but was unable to hide it from her PSI. She took ahold of his hand, a rush of emotions hitting her. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she flooded the raven-haired boy with her own rush of emotions, her inherent calmness soothing his expression. She leaned against him, listening intently to him as he attempted to pick up where he left off.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Y-you’re just... so perfect... a-a-and I’m just... j-just an idiot... a w-wimpy kid who d-d-doesn’t deserve someone l-like you...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He trailed off again, trying to take deep breaths to stop himself from crying. He was really hoping this wouldn’t happen. It was always difficult to express anything around anyone, given the fact that his PSI made his emotions unruly. He could cause splitting headaches from outbursts of anger, create the inability to focus from pure fear, and even physical pain and aches from uncontrollable sadness. He feared that, one day, he might do harm to his friends from even a minor outburst, which resulted in him bottling everything up until it became too much for him to handle. Ana, on the other hand, had learned to control herself from the very start. Her PSI was far more volatile than Nintens, one outburst could quite literally set her surroundings on fire. She had the calmness and stillness needed to counteract the sheer extremes of Nintens emotions, even if it made Ninten feel weak. He took a deep breath, letting out a shaky sigh. Ana still hadn’t spoken, but he could tell she was still listening.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m sorry...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He curled up, resting his head on his knees. Ana responded to this by gently pulling him into a hug from behind, wrapping her arms around his midriff, her head rested upon his shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t be sorry. You’re perfect for me, even if you don’t think so. I fell in love with your little oddities. So what if you’re not the toughest guy on the block? As if I’d care! I like that you’re not this bulky guy who’s so tough they have to show it off! I adore your smallness and your slender figure.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She ran a hand over his side, feeling how thin he was as he struggled to not squirm under her touch.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I love you goofy laugh and your squeaky voice, your bubbly personality, your vibrant optimism.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She paused, mindlessly tracing shapes on Nintens stomach, listening to his quiet, muffled laughter.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re perfect to me in every way, shape, and form. I love every little thing about you. So what if you’ve got some insecurities and flaws? Everybody’s got something wrong with them, but that’s besides the point! You’re my everything, and I love you no matter what.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She pulled him a little closer, a mischievous smirk growing on her face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Now, I’ll admit one thing: I hate seeing you sad, so let’s fix that, shall we?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She swiftly dug her fingers into his ribs, earning a hearty squeal from the raven-haired boy. Said squeal turned into bubbly laughter as Ana shifted farther up his rib cage, fingers shifting their attacks into the hollows between the ribs. He squirmed and fell back against Ana, his laughter echoing in the empty church, spiking up an octave as Ana’s attack darted up to his underarms. She smiled and hugged him tighter, ceasing her tickle attack as she nuzzled his neck, getting a few muffled giggles out of him.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thanks, Ana. You’re the best.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She grinned with enough joy to light up the room, her happiness practically contagious, as Ninten felt a smile start to finally stick on his face. Ana sensed the sudden spike in his mood and stood up, lifting him right off his feet.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“A-Ah! Ana!!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She giggled, scooping him up bridal style. Nintens face turned beet red and he quickly covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“P-please put me down.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His voice was hushed with embarrassment, muffled slightly by his hands.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok, ok, I’ll set you down.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She carefully lowered him to his feet, gently taking ahold of his hand.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You all warmed up?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, didn’t take as long as I thought it would!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s face felt a little less hot, his cheeks still a soft pink, though he insisted it was the cold.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So, I had an idea for us to try, or rather, for you to try.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She led him around the altar and to a small closet that contained a multitude of strange and eclectic items, ranging from hand-carved wood figures to delicate hand-woven flower crowns made of flowers Ninten had never seen before. She rummaged through a few bags and pulled out two pairs of ice skates, handing one to Ninten. He hesitantly took them, confused as to why Ana had given him such.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, why ice skates? Any particular reason for these?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana smiled, closing the closet and heading to the door with Ninten in tow.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We’re going ice skating, silly! I thought it’d be fun! You do know how to skate, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten went blank, quickly waving a dismissive hand to try and cover up the fact that he mentally flatlined for a moment.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Pshh! Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana seemed to believe him, picking up pace as they approached the door. She abruptly stopped at the doormat, sitting down and putting her ice skates on. Ninten slowly did the same, clearly hesitant in every move. He was barely able to stand up without wobbling like crazy, clinging to Ana for support. Ana, on the other hand, was able to stand in her ice skates just fine, making an almost comical scene with Ninten desperately clinging to her in fear of losing balance and toppling over with one wrong step. Carefully, the two made their way out of the church and took a very short walk to a frozen over pond nearby, stopping by a fir tree. Ana attempted to let go of the shaking raven-haired boy, only causing him to tighten his grip on her arm.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, Ninten? You sure you’re ok? You’re awfully clingy for someone who’s apparently familiar with ice skating.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t respond.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You were lying when you said you could skate, weren’t you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She said it bluntly, now realizing her lapse in judgement. Ninten sheepishly averted eye contact, ashamed of his lie.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t want you to have to jump around ideas so we could do stuff together. I thought that maybe if I lied and convinced you I’d be fine, you wouldn’t be upset over my fault.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana let out a quiet sigh, carefully prying Nintens hands off her arm.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ninten, you know I can teach you, right? It’s not that big of a deal! If you’re not comfortable with skating yet, you can watch me warm up on the ice!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I think I’ll do that.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He leaned against the nearby tree, watching as Ana shuffled onto the ice, gliding forwards. She pushed her skates against the ice, picking up speed. Snow had begun falling in soft flakes, landing atop the pre-existing layer Snowman always had. Ana caught a snowflake or two in her hands before blowing them away, returning to skating. She quickly picked up speed, bracing for a slight moment before kicking off in a midair spin, landing gracefully on her skates. Ninten felt his heart practically leap out of his chest, his cheeks turning a vibrant shade of pink. He’d never seen Ana ice skate before, let alone figure skate, and the sight before him was like a scene right out of a movie to him. Snow glistened in the mid-afternoon sun, giving a nostalgic glow to the landscape. Ana was dressed in her favorite coat, which was a little beaten up, but was still elegant on her, even with all the scuffs and stitches it had. Her hat fluttered in the gentle breeze that came with the snow. Her movements were fluid and graceful, as elegant as an Olympic figure skater. Ninten couldn’t take his eyes off her, watching in sheer awe as Ana spun right in front of him, giving him a cheeky smirk before skating off again to continue her routine. His heart skipped a beat every time she landed a trick, his cheeks beet red, some of which was from the cold. Ana finally came to a halt in front of him, taking a bow, awaiting some kind of applause for her routine, but was surprised to hear nothing. She looked up to see Ninten still staring at her in awe, waving a hand in front of his face to get his attention.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, earth to Ninten?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He snapped to attention, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“S-sorry! What’s up?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’d you think of my performance. You were staring pretty hard, and your cheeks are quite red...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She gently cupped his cheek, causing his cheeks to turn a darker shade of red from her touch.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re flustered, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten chuckled nervously, hoping it would deter Ana a bit, but failed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“C’mon, admit it, you’re flustered.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smirked, cupping his other cheek, her hands oddly warm despite the freezing cold air around them. His cheeks turned a crimson red, the tips of his ears beginning to turn a reddish-pink. She knew she was only adding fuel to the fire. If she got him flustered bad enough, he’d crack, and that was exactly what she planned to do. She stepped a bit closer, almost nose to nose with him, and then he cracked.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ok, ok, you win! I’m flustered! You just looked... so beautiful... skating and doing all those tricks...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He trailed off, burying his face in her shoulder. Ana giggled, giving him a quick hug before taking ahold of his hands, backing up and pulling him along with.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“How about I teach you how to do some of that?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s face flushed red.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“W-wait! Hold on! L-let’s just talk about this before we get staRTED ANA NO NO NO NO TURN ME AROUND PLEASE!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The raven-haired boy gripped Ana’s hands, shaking in fear. He struggled to keep his balance, tripping over his skates. Ana kept her tight but gentle hold on his hands, gently guiding him farther onto the ice, ignoring his pleas to turn around and take him back to solid ground. They made it to the center of the pond, Ninten nearly hugging Ana in fear. She carefully pried him off of her and took ahold of his hands once more.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Calm down! I’ve got you, you’re not gonna fall. I’m gonna teach you how to skate, starting with the basics!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She slowly made her way to his side, keeping a hold on one of his hands.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Let’s start simple. Just pick up your feet and shuffle forwards! I’ll be here to catch you if you slip, so don’t worry about that!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten shakily nodded, hesitantly picking up his feet, barely shuffling forwards with Ana. Slowly, he started to get the hang of it, picking up speed, finally matching Ana in pace. She smiled in glee, loosening her grip on Ninten’s hand.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re doing amazing! Here’s the next step; start pushing off with each step you take!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten watched as she demonstrated how to push off the ice with her skates, attempting to follow her example.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a few stumbles and near-injury slip-ups, Ninten has finally gotten the hang of ice skating. Ana beamed with joy as the raven-haired boy kept pace with her, eventually coming to a halt and letting him skate off without her.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re doing amazing, sweetie!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten looked back to smile at her and give her a thumbs up in response, his confidence growing to be just a little too high. He picked up speed, confidently attempting to show off his newly acquired skills. Another confident step and-</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">*W H A M!*</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana’s hands flew over her mouth in shock. Just a moment ago, Ninten was confidently skating across the ice, that confidently smug little grin spread across his face. But within a split second, he’d tripped, his legs giving out as he fell forwards, his right skate flying up towards his side as he fell. He’d landed facedown, a loud thud following his painful landing. For a moment, he laid perfectly still, unmoving, mike he was unconscious, but then shifted, attempting to push himself upright on the slippery ice. Almost immediately, she skated over to him, skidding to a halt on her knees.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ninten!! Good heavens, are you ok?!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten put a shaky hand to his nose, checking to see if it was bleeding. Thankfully, once he took his hand away, there were no signs of blood. He looked over at Ana, who was absolutely mortified over his fall, and gave her a shaky thumbs up, his body coursing with adrenaline. With a brief push, he shoved himself upright. He felt a twinge of pain at his side, but thought nothing of it.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh, I think? I don’t think I’m bleeding anywhere, so that’s a good sign!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana began checking Ninten for injuries, quickly finding one on his right side, as he let out a small Yelp and tried to scoot away when she touched it. She crawled over to his right side and lifted his coat and shirt, revealing a small cut where his ice skate had slipped up during his fall.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Liar! You’ve got a cut from the ice skate!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten’s face went pale.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh no... Please tell me it didn’t slice through my shirt or something! </span>
  <span class="s2">My mom’ll have my head if I tore something...</span>
  <span class="s1">”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana shook her head, lightly tracing a finger over the cut.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Thankfully, nothing got torn. Your shirt and coat must’ve flown up when you fell, exposing your side.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten breathed a sigh of relief, attempting to push himself to his feet, only to slide downwards onto his stomach. He pushed himself back to a sitting position and attempted to get back on his feet when Ana pushed him down.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sit still for a moment so I can patch you up.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She lifted his shirt and coat to expose the cut once again, but this time, gently placed a hand over the wound. A soft green glow emanated from her palm, the glow seeping into the skin around the cut. When she pulled her hand away, the cut had completely closed up, leaving a faint line scar in its place.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There we go. Here, I’ll help you up.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She stood up, extending her hands for him to take. Hesitantly, he took ahold of her hands, slowly getting pulled to his feet.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I-I’m gonna try to skate around for a bit...”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His face flushed pink, gently skating away from Ana. He was embarrassed and refused to let her see it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ana staring at him, her gaze looking through him rather than at him. Her thoughts were static to him, impossible to comprehend or understand, but continuously shifting and changing before he could figure out what she was thinking about. It wasn’t anything negative, from what he could tell, but was more of a confusing, concerned mix of emotions. He stared ahead of him and tried to ignore the odd and silently pained gaze of Ana.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">~~~{+}~~~</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He couldn’t remember how long he’d been skating for. Time had slipped out of his grasp and he’d become lost in a cacophony of unending, nervous thoughts. He kept looking over at Ana, who seemed to also be lost in her thoughts. She silently skated on the other side of the pond, hands clasped behind her back. Ninten felt a pang of guilt hit him straight in the chest. This was supposed to be a fun, enjoyable date! Not some depressing day of skating in utter silence! He couldn’t stand it any longer. With an overconfident push, he began skating over to Ana, stopping just before her. She stopped, quietly staring at him. Her thoughts were far more comprehensible now, but static still lingered over parts she refused to let him see. He swallowed the lump in his throat and steadied his nerves.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ana, I wanted to talk to you for a sec.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She seemed intrigued, her mind fathoming questions by the second.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Sure, what’s up?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ninten straightened up, his confidence faltering when he remembered how tall Ana was compared to him, even after he straightened himself out.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I wanted to apologize for just... running off earlier. If I’m being honest, I’m a nervous wreck. I keep getting so flustered at every little thing that happens and I feel bad, because I feel like I ruined our date, so I wanna make it up to you and fix this date before it gets to an irredeemable point.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He extended a hand, hoping she wouldn’t notice him shaking a bit.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Would you like to dance?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Ana smiled and took ahold of his hand, their fingers lacing together. She nodded to him, and the two seemed to link to each other. They slowly brought each other into a closer position, holding one another’s side with their free hand and keeping the other linked together. Then, in perfect sync, they began to dance. Their movements were fluid and sure, perfectly in time despite the lack of music. Ninten was enamored by Ana, the same way he was all those years ago. Little flashes of their first dance occasionally flickered through his mind, the world fading around him. All that remained was himself and Ana, the remainder of the world surrounding them just a blurry background to him. The dance felt all too short to him, the two stopping at the center of the icy pond. Ana’s hand gently cupped his cheek, staring lovingly into his eyes. Ninten felt his cheeks get hot, slowly being pulled in closer. Nothing was said between them, and nothing needed to be. They both knew what was about to happen. Both shut their eyes and their lips connected in the sweetest of kisses. It was brief, Ninten pulling away after mere moments out of embarrassment, but the joyous feeling stuck with them. Ana giggled and pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his, the snow gently falling around them in the serenity of the moment.</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I love you, Ninten.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I love you, too, Ana.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Again, sorry about the ending. I lost motivation since I spent so long writing this and after a while I stop having that exciting hype over writing a specific chapter and it turns into more or less of a chore. Now that it’s done, I get to move on to Chimera of Light again! As I stated in the most recent chapter of that fic, I’ll be making the next chapter very very dark. Hopefully it won’t take forever to write, but no promises :)</p><p>Until next time!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wasn’t totally satisfied with this one, but that’s ok. It’ll get better, I promise. I’ll be posting one more chapter before I go back to Chimera of Light. From there, I’ll try to alternate between these two.</p><p>Until then!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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